Welcome to the 37th annual California Small Farm Conference, a week-long event featuring over 40 online workshops as well as a dozen in-person gatherings around the state. Whether you’re a beginning farmer or a seasoned grower, a local food advocate or a farmers market manager, you’ll find something here for you. This year’s theme, "Rooted in Place", honors the vital relationship between farmers, communities and the land they steward.
Check out the schedule below for event times and locations. Click "Reserve Tickets" to register. Admission is on a sliding-scale, to ensure everyone can attend. Please select the amount you’re comfortable paying. Enjoy the conference!
Interested in sponsoring this event? Learn more here
In this workshop, we will unpack the meaning of “small farm,” a term that often guides discourse around social justice and ecological stewardship in agrifood systems, even as it is poorly defined.
The USDA rigidly defines “small farms” as those with less than $350,000 in gross annual income yet provides no justification for this cutoff. Additionally, “small” farms must be “family” farms, itself a thorny term that includes both sole proprietors and farms owned by family members who may not even work on the farm (in Brazil, by contrast, “family” is defined by who labors, not by ownership). More broadly, the term is used in practice and scholarship to refer to farms of wildly varied size and scale characteristics while often implying that certain social, ecological, or economic goals are prioritized, presumably distinguishing the “small” farm from large-scale agribusiness.
Being “small,” however, in no way guarantees that, by definition, a farmer operates outside agribusiness or pursues/achieves these goals. Similarly, being “large” does not by definition make a farm incapable of achieving progressive socioecological or economic goals. Who, then, do we mean by "small farmers"? What should we mean? What are the goals/values driving the term’s usage? Do we need a new definition, or different terminology altogether? Is it "smallness" we want, or is it social justice, economic prosperity, and environmental sustainability? And do these goals require “smallness,” whatever that is?
Together, we will thoughtfully consider what “small farms” we’re fighting for and why, engaging the tensions or agreements that arise.
Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for plant production. It's particularly difficult to manage on organic farms because the availability dynamics are complex. This workshop will present a holistic way of thinking about nitrogen cycling and management so that growers can have a nitrogen plan in place. From compost and cover crops to soil organic matter and amendments, we'll talk about it all. By the end, you'll be empowered to understand how these different sources of nitrogen create a whole system plan and where you have room to improve.
This half-day training, developed by the California Alliance of Farmers' Markets, offers farmers' market workers, managers, volunteers or enthusiasts insight into the rules and regulations and best practices for running a CA certified Farmers market. The program is designed to equip market managers, staff, volunteers, enthusiasts, with the essential skills needed to enhance the integrity, management, and sustainability of Certified Farmers’ Markets across California.
During this interactive session, participants will dive into the foundational elements of the Farmers' Market Manual, which promotes direct farmer-to-consumer relationships and supports small independent farmers. Upon completion of the training, participants will receive a free farmers' market management manual.
The training will be led by farmers' market longtime professionals and industry leaders Portia Bramble (North Coast Growers Assn), April Lancaster (Visalia Farmers markets) , Tanya Wolf (Ag institute of Marin), and Minni Forman (Food Farming dir. Ecology Center).
Composting and compost use is an effective and scalable climate change solution that has a multitude of environmental and societal benefits, especially when implemented at community gardens and small farms. Despite state mandates for organic waste diversion from landfills to meet climate goals, adoption of composting in the state at community scale remains low and expansion of industrial composting can exacerbate air quality problems and greenhouse gas emissions. We formed a partnership among community organizations and researchers to meet this need. Our mission is to establish affordable, accessible, and scalable community-level composting knowledge and practices to transform farm and food waste into compost to grow nutritious food, mitigate climate change, and advance social justice in the San Joaquin Valley. In this workshop, we share knowledge gained and lessons learned through our partnership. We hope to equip participants of this workshop with fundamental knowledge of the benefits of composting at this scale, different models of small-scale composting, the human and natural resources needed to compost, and the tools to start community-scale composting projects and partnerships.
This panel presentation will explore various funding opportunities available to farmers for advancing agricultural technology. Panelists will discuss different incentive programs for farmers, including:
CDFA: Agrivoltaics and irrigation efficiency program CORE: Electric tractor vouchers CARB: Tractor replacement program 3CE: Ag Electrification Program UCANR: Tool Lending Library
The session will be moderated CAFF's Tech Hub. Join us to learn how these funding opportunities can support your farming operations.
Maria supports the Small Farm Tech Hub by leading technical assistance efforts to improve the productivity and competitiveness of small farmers. Maria is originally from Peru and fell in love with farming when she attended the Agrarian National University in Lima. After receiving... Read More →
Monday February 24, 2025 9:45am - 11:00am PST
Online
Do you use a well for irrigation? Have you heard about the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) or new regulations for groundwater? Confused by the endless acronyms and jargon, and need to understand what this really means for your farm? Come hear from three farmers who are working with CAFF on groundwater education. Walk away with an understanding of how SGMA functions in Tehama, Butte, and Monterey counties, how to get good information on SGMA in your region, and ways to get involved in groundwater policy in your region.
Join us for a panel-style discussion on the essentials of recordkeeping for farmers. This workshop is designed to provide a comprehensive overview of the various resources available to streamline and enhance your farm's recordkeeping processes. Whether you’re focused on improving your business operations, ensuring food safety compliance, or preparing for audits and certifications, this session has you covered.
The workshop will outline the critical aspects of recordkeeping, including profit/loss statements, crop plans, and the importance of accurate documentation for food safety and marketing, FSMA, organic certifications, and third-party audits, emphasizing how proper records play a pivotal role in meeting these standards.
After this workshop you won’t go at it alone! CAFF’s Farmer Services Office Hours are held every Monday to get in-depth advice on what records you need and how to maintain them efficiently. This workshop is your starting point to mastering farm recordkeeping—don’t miss it!
Maria supports the Small Farm Tech Hub by leading technical assistance efforts to improve the productivity and competitiveness of small farmers. Maria is originally from Peru and fell in love with farming when she attended the Agrarian National University in Lima. After receiving... Read More →
This workshop will provide a foundational introduction to Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and how the IPM framework can be applied on small-scale organic vegetable farms. We will start with a basic overview of key IPM concepts and strategies. Then we will explore how IPM can be used to manage two common and economically-damaging pests as examples, symphylans and cucumber beetles. This will include real-world examples of IPM for these pests from North Bay vegetable growers, shared with permission. We will use last 30 minutes of this workshop to walk through how to write your own IPM plan for a pest of your choice using a simple outline. This will start with accurate pest identification, understanding its life cycle, and prevention strategies. Then we will cover how to set action thresholds appropriate for your farm as well as strategies for monitoring and record keeping. We'll cover how to combine management strategies such as biological, cultural, mechanical, and organic chemical options. Attendees will leave this workshop with a draft of an IPM plan they can continue refining over time.
Join us for a workshop on organic certification and inspection, featuring an experienced organic inspector and successful organic farmer. This session will provide insights into the certification process, compliance requirements, and practices for preparing for an inspection.
Every farm has unique challenges and, in striving towards solutions, farmers are innovative problem-solvers well-versed in constant trial and error. However, as a farmer, you may not think of yourself as a researcher or what you do as experimental trials. This workshop will break down the basic steps you can follow to conduct practical on-farm research projects to answer questions about a range of practices, from soil health, plant breeding and cultivar selection, and climate resilience. It will feature a panel of farmers who will share their motivation for doing research on their farms, their experience running basic experiments with accessible and inexpensive tools, and the different opportunities available to receive funding and assistance to develop farmer-led research projects. The aim of this workshop is to provide the background and tools needed to cultivate your curiosity and problem-solving skills into your own research.
"First we eat, then we do everything else." ~ MFK FisherReyna also works for CAFF as a Groundwater Community Engagement Contractor, helping small farmers navigate and understand SGMA.
Moet supports the Ecological Pest Management Program to help farmers implement and sustain ecological pest management practices through applied research and outreach. She is based in the San Joaquin Valley, and conducts on-farm experiments in walnut orchards and winegrape vineyards... Read More →
Monday February 24, 2025 3:00pm - 4:15pm PST
Online
In this conference I will be introducing a panel from different regions to talk about Asian Specialty Crop and the impact of how each region is doing. This is to create the talk of what's happening in our markets, how we can brainstorm, help each other out, etc.
Farmers, homesteaders, artisans, and cottage food makers have the right to produce the food they want, and consumers have the right to purchase what they want to feed their families. However, laws and regulatory overreach often restrict these choices, and while consumer demand for locally grown products is rising, increased regulation can drive out small farms and businesses.
In this workshop, we will explore key federal, state and local regulations that impact small food producers. We will examine the federal rules regarding meat and poultry production, the prohibitions on interstate sales of certain products such as raw milk, cottage food regulations, and FSMA safety regulations. Since this conference in CA based, we will also touch on the state and local rules for each of the above food categories and also address typical local zoning regulations, the state Right to Farm law, and more. We will examine the legal solutions - such as meat and milk share agreements - that can farmers and small producers can employ to remain viable and grow.
Finally, we will explore the various legislative, policy, and advocacy tools that seek to expand food freedom choice for everyone, and offer guidance on how producers can build partnerships with legislators and mobilize supporters to change the rules to their benefit.
Organic production of subtropical tree crops along the coast revolves around maintaining tree health through management of irrigation, nutrients and cultural practices. Disease and pests of these trees will be discussed and practices that reduce the occurrence.
